Young people throughout the country are calling for the voting age to be lowered, despite criticism 16 and 17-year-olds aren’t mature enough to vote.
The Youth Parliament 2019 social services and community select committee works on a report on ways to engage young people in the democratic process. Photo: Youth Parliament / Neil McKenzie
A newly formed, youth-led campaign, Make it 16, is pushing for the Government to lower the voting age to 16. The campaign officially launched alongside the 2019 Youth Parliament.
Youth Parliament is a triennial event which gives rangatahi the opportunity to speak on issues facing them and their communities on a national level.
While climate change and youth mental health dominated discussion during the two-day event, youth engagement in politics was also intensely debated.
Ben Sokimi, Youth MP for Simon Bridges, supports the Make it 16 campaign but acknowledges it's not without its challenges.
“It’s no secret that, broadly speaking, young people just don’t care about politics,” he told the Youth Parliament during its general debate.
The 2019 Youth MP for Simon Bridges, Ben Sokimi, on a Youth Parliament select committee. Photo: Youth Parliament / Neil McKenzie
At the 2017 general election only 69% of enrolled voters cast a vote in the 18-24 age bracket. In contrast, the highest turnout of 88% was among 65-69 year-olds.
The Youth Parliament Social Services Select Committee was tasked with finding solutions to youth civic disengagement.
The Committee concluded that youth disengagement was “something of a self-perpetuating cycle” and recommended lowering the voting age to combat this issue.
Children’s Commissioner, Judge Andrew Becroft appeared before the Committee to support establishing a voting age of 16.
“In my view, lowering the voting age could enhance turnout, ingrain the habit of voting, and uphold children and young people’s rights,” Becroft said.
“Evidence suggests that if voting habits are established early, they are likely to be set for life. If young people have the opportunity to vote for the first time while they are still at school, they are more likely to continue to build on this civic engagement in the future.”
Youth MP for James Shaw and spokesperson for Make it 16, Molly Doyle, echoed his statement.
“We need to break the cycle of youth disengagement within politics. If people start voting young it will become a habit,” Doyle said.
The 2019 Youth MP for James Shaw, Molly Doyle, speaks in the debating chamber at Youth Parliament. Photo: Youth Parliament / Neil McKenzie
Youth MPs representing all political parties in Parliament have since said they support lowering the voting age, despite many actual MPs opposing the idea.
Ethan Nemeroff who represented Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was one such Youth MP.
“To have a huge group of society be affected by laws and policies but unable to have a say about it simply goes against any sense of equality and fair representation,” Nemeroff said.
“Lowering the voting age to 16 would ensure that these members of society have the ability to have a say on matters that will affect them.”
Minister for Youth Peeni Henare told RNZ that lowering the voting age is “certainly something we should be considering” but said he would like to see other electoral issues addressed first.
“We don’t want to change the voting age to 16 [if] we don’t have all those other support mechanisms in place, otherwise we’re doomed to fail.”
Ministers wait to answer questions from Youth MPs at Youth Parliament 2019. From right to left: Prime Minsiter Jacinda Ardern, Minister for Youth Peeni Henare, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins, and Associate Minister of Women Julie-Anne Genter. Photo: Youth Parliament / Neil McKenzie
Minister for Education, Chris Hipkins, acknowledged the need for a robust debate on the issue before any action is taken, but said “in principle, I don’t have an objection to lowering the voting age”.
However, the National Party’s previous youth spokesperson and former-Youth MP, Chris Bishop, disagrees.
“Eighteen is where you become an adult in New Zealand,” Bishop said. “It’s when you can drink, it’s when you can generally serve in the army. It’s generally when you can get married.”
The 2019 Youth MP for David Seymour, Valentyn Santhara speaks at Youth Parliament 2019. Photo: Youth Parliament / Neil McKenzie
Youth MP for David Seymour and Make it 16 advocate, Valentyn Santhara, disagrees.
“There are plenty of added [responsibilities] placed on every 16-year-old in Aotearoa, such as the ability to be considered an adult worker, consent to sex and medical treatment, leave school and apply for a firearms license,” Santhara said.
Make it 16 is working to engage New Zealanders of all ages and political stances in debate on the issue.
Campaign spokesperson Oli Morphew, 14, said the organisers hope to “meet with political parties in the coming weeks to discuss this campaign and put forward our case”.
*Annabel McCarthy is a member of the Youth Press Gallery which takes the role of independent media reporting on Youth MPs and Youth Parliament 2019. This article was commissioned specifically for The House.
